When he first emerged on the international stage in late 1990 with the song “Crazy,” Seal cut a dramatic figure with his 6-foot-4-inch frame, dreads, leather outfits, and facial scarring from lupus that would play into his distinct look. He was a soulful singer whose voice could soar, and he had first come to public attention singing on the Adamski single “Killer,” which he would rework for his self-titled debut album. That electro-dance track addressed racism and feelings of social isolation, and the original Adamski version sold 400,000 copies in the U.K. where it went Top 10.
Videos by American Songwriter
But it was “Crazy” that really captured people’s hearts and imagination on a larger scale. The mid-tempo funk-pop tune, with pulsating organ that gave the song a futuristic feel, was inspired by a changing world that Seal had experienced through recent travels and global events. He was a native of London with Nigerian parents who grew up with a lot of music in his household, and he had a natural curiosity about the world.
Following his college studies and regular jobs, Seal flirted with the idea of a career in music, garnering a late ’80s production deal but not yet a strong focus. While performing with Push, a soul and funk band that specialized in James Brown covers, he traveled to Japan. But when their tour ended, he decided not to go back to London with his bandmates.
“I ended up staying in Thailand for about 6 1/2 months,” Seal told the L.A. Times in 1992. “For someone who had never been on that side of the equator before, it was a real shock … to see these other cultures. Mostly, I suppose, it gave me the time and freedom to assess what was really going on in my life and ask myself if I wanted to be in music and, if so, what I wanted to say. I learned a lot of things about myself. I sort of became much more aware of spirituality.”
Inspired by what he experienced in Asia, and looking at the massive social change happening globally at the time—including the demolition of the Berlin Wall and the student uprising against the Chinese government at Tiananmen Square—Seal set about writing “Crazy.”
“I didn’t know why all these things were suddenly happening, but maybe it was that people were becoming more socially or spiritually aware,” Seal pondered. “For me, it was a sign that people can make a difference if they take a stand … and that people should be encouraged to express themselves freely … as those students did in Tiananmen Square. They shouldn’t be intimidated by the fact that other people might accuse them of being crazy or abnormal. I was saying it’s OK to be crazy … or to be different … to stand up for what you believe.”
The lyrics reflected what he was talking about.
A man decides after seventy years
That what he goes there for, is to unlock the door
While those around him criticize and sleep
And through a fractal on a breaking wall
I see you my friend, and touch your face again
Miracles will happen as we trip
But we’re never gonna survive, unless
We get a little crazy
It’s interesting to note that in November 1990, the Scorpions album Crazy World arrived, featuring the future hit ballad “Wind Of Change”—inspired by how Eastern Europe and Russia, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, saw Communism eroding and democratic ideals flourishing.
Co-written with Guys Sigsworth, “Crazy” and Seal’s first album arrived at the time that the dour strains of grunge, incendiary sounds of gangsta rap, and uptempo vibes of new jack swing were starting to take hold of the charts. Seal was removed from all of that—he had a look, sound, and style all his own. He had an organic sound that integrated electronic sounds rather than be dominated by them, as had been the case with so much late ’80s pop and rock. Producer Trevor Horn has said the song took two months to record and get right as they had great aspirations for it.
People responded to the final song and album. Seal’s self-titled debut went Platinum in America and sold another million and a half units globally. “Crazy” hit No. 7 on the Top 100 singles chart in the U.S., and it went No. 1 in five European countries. Inspired by the British rave scene he became involved with at the tail of the ’90s, Seal was looking for a hopeful vision of the future with songs like “Crazy” and the follow-up single “Future Love Paradise”.
His next album, also called Seal, produced the No. 1 hit song “Kiss from a Rose” and sold 4 million copies alone in the U.S. But it was “Crazy” that made it all happen. Seal never doubted the magic of what he created with his mesmerizing song.
“I had no doubt about ‘Crazy,’” Seal once told Q magazine. “I always thought it was a potential No. 1—even though it never was! It’s the first song I wrote on the guitar, and the first song where I said everything I wanted to say in a concise way. Before that my songs had been too long. But as soon as I wrote the hook, I knew it was a potential hit.”
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Sarah Morris/Getty Images
